Teriyaki Madness Builds Momentum in 2026 With a Breakout First Quarter

April 14, 2026 // Franchising.com // DENVER – Teriyaki Madness (TMAD) began 2026 with a 28 percent year-over-year increase in systemwide sales for a chain with over 200 teriyaki shops across the country, marking one of the higher first-quarter growth performances in the fast casual industry.

Fueled largely by existing franchisees expanding their footprints and referring friends and family, that momentum builds on a 46 percent increase in total shop count over the past two years. Proving the brand’s growth isn’t just aggressive, it’s coming from inside the system.

Operators of other brands have taken notice. TMAD signed 10 new franchisees, with 18 new locations in the pipeline, reflecting a broader trend: a growing share of expansion is being driven by existing franchisees choosing to scale and bring others into the system.

Teriyaki Madness has added to its franchise support teams in Q1 with several key hires:

• Lindsay Dvorak, franchise development marketing manager
• Brittani Moore, new shop opening trainer
• Demitris Padgett, digital marketing coordinator
• Sydney Haith, development project coordinator
• Oliver Mason, IT analyst

Additionally, promoting two existing team members:

• Karen Barrios to vice president of legal ops
• Liz Worley to vice president of digital marketing

“We’ve spent the past year tightening operations and improving unit-level performance, and now we’re seeing that discipline show up in the numbers,” said Michael Haith, chief executive officer of Teriyaki Madness. “What’s even more exciting is where that growth is coming from. The operators coming into this system aren’t experimenting; they’re executing, and the ones already in it are referring others, finding ways to move faster and open more shops. When you build something that works at the unit level, growth stops being a question and starts becoming a byproduct. It is our job to ensure we invest in all of the resources needed by our franchisees, before they need it!”

Menu innovations contributed to the first-quarter performance. The Double Protein bowls accounted for 7.3 percent of entrée purchases; the item was planned to remain on the menu.

With ongoing changes in its franchise network and sales trends, Teriyaki Madness continued to report momentum heading into 2026.

SOURCE Teriyaki Madness

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